Drones would be deployed in counting of rhinos in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). The decision has been taken due to high grasses in the rhino area, forest officials said.
The rhino population estimation, earlier scheduled for Thursday in DTR was extended till Friday. This was done due to difficulties in locating one-horned rhinos inside rhino rehabilitation area on elephant backs, DTR officials said.
“High grasses in rhino area, which often go beyond an elephant’s height, pose some difficulties in locating the rhinos. On Friday we would engage drone cameras to trap images of rhinos, roaming amid long spans of high grasses,” DTR field director, Sanjay Kumar Pathak said.
The last estimation of 2018 in DTR estimated 42 rhinos in DTR. This number is likely to swell after the ongoing estimation exercise.